Chris Phipps – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Forget Carter – Chris Phipps

Chris Phipps, who used to present on Look! Hear! at Pebble Mill in the early 1980s, and was the BBC’s Black Country correspondent in the 1970s, has written a book about the films and television of Newcastle.

Here is the publicity material from Chris:

“We associate Newcastle with TV and Film icons Get Carter, Byker Grove, The Tube and Our Friends in the North. However, do you know where Ralph Richardson stole money from in 1939? Why a den of spies were living in Jesmond in 1951? Who met Tommy Lee Jones on the High Level Bridge in 1988? Why Gateshead High Street was under siege in 2009? and which Newcastle flats seem to appear in every programme or film made in Newcastle?

In his new book, media historian Chris Phipps takes us on his tour of Newcastle’s film and TV covering old favourites like Payroll and Auf Wiedersehen Pet and shining light on some hidden gems such as The One and Only, Unconditional and The Clouded Yellow. Newcastle continues to be the perfect film set, seeing filming for Vera and Transformers: The Black Knight in 2016. Forget Carter! What could be next for this photogenic city?

With contributions from directors Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake, Kes) and Bryn Higgins (Unconditional), writers Peter Flannery (Our Friends in the North, George Gently), Ian La Frenais (The Likely Lads, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) and Lee Hall (Billy Elliot)and actors Melanie Hill (Bread, Coronation Street), Victoria Elliot (Hebburn , Emmerdale, The Kennedys, 55 Degrees North, Get Carter stage play), Charlie Hardwick (Amber Films, Emmerdale, Byker Grove) and Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake), this book explores the background to the filming of many television programmes and films in Newcastle.”

The book is now available from AMAZON, The Tyneside Cinema and www.tinyurl.com/toonbooks but will be available from Tyne Bridge Publishing:

Tyne Bridge Publishing

Newcastle Libraries

33 New Bridge Street West

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 8AX

Phone +44 (0)191 2774174

david.hepworth@newcastle.gov.uk

www.tynebridgepublishing.org.uk

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Andy Frizzell: ‘Co-presented look hear with Toyah Wilcox. One of the first things I worked on and the first time I met Barry Chatfield. A long, long time ago.’

Save

Radio Birmingham’s Carnival Float

The photo is of the Radio Birmingham carnival float, in the 1970s.

Included in the photo, left to right, bottom row, Annie Gumbley Williams, Kathy Nelson (Scott), now married to David Nelson. Second row Carol McLeod, Dave Lowe, Claire McCloud (copytaker). Back row, Peter York, Alex Lester, Chris Phipps,?, Pete Simpkin standing by the gramophone (producer/presenter).

Thanks to Pete Simpkin for sharing the photo.

Look! Hear! Concert – School Sports

This audio is from a concert for the regional arts show, Look! Hear! recorded in Cannon Hill Park in Edgbaston, Birmingham. The band is called “School Sports”, who were popular on the pub rock scene at the time.

Look! Hear! was presented by Toyah Willcox, Chris Phipps and John Holmes. The producer was Roger Casstles, who went on to create The Clothes Show.

Thanks to Peter Poole for making the audio available.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:

Stuart Gandy: ‘Good memories of this programme, one of the first I ever worked on in TV ops.’

Alastair Yates: ‘I have nervous memories of being responsible for putting this opt on air from the Pres. Studio.’

Gary Jordan: ‘After doing a bit of digging the concert was known as “Lark In The Park” Produced by BRMB’s Robin Valk on 25th-29th August 1979 and featured bands like, Slender Loris, Rainmaker, Little Acre, Ruby Turner, City Boy, Fashion. The Specials and School sports who had changed their name from Hooker, who then changed it again to Mean Street Dealers.’

Steve Saunderson: ‘I was on one of the cameras ( Film ). I think I’ve still got a badge somewhere in a draw with my old ID Cards that show this cool cameraman with lots of hair and a beard. Who was that bearded man?’

Rosie Critchlow: ‘I had a Look! Hear! badge, brought home from work by my Dad.’

Ambridge’s Yorkshire beginnings

Ambridge's Yorkshire beginnings 3

This article was written by Chris Phipps for The Dalesman magazine, it is published here with his and their permission.

Additionally, Chris Phipps was also a presenter on the Pebble Mill youth series, Look! Hear! and would produce the music on the show.

Radio Birmingham Shop in New Street

Photo from Pete Simpkin, no reproduction without permission.

The photo shows the Radio Birmingham shop in New Street, Birmingham. Producer and presenter Pete Simpkin points to the entrance!

The following information was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Michael Fisher: ‘Yes I remember when it opened up. Carol was the receptionist who looked after the shop. The small studio came in handy at times for news reports rather than dashing back to Pebble Mill. It also provided a city centre profile for the radio station and was very close to the City Hall but was on the edge of the New St shopping area. However it was probably an idea before its time as local radio later branched out. Pete Simpkin will recall that at the time we had “Sinky” in Coventry & covered Wolverhampton & Black Country (Chris Phipps programme) as well as parts of rural Worcs. Warks. & Staffs. almost extending as far as Cannock. I managed to get Nuneaton covered in the non-league soccer that I started for Jim Rosental to go with our six league clubs Blues, Villa, Sky Blues, Wolves, Albion & Walsall who I enjoyed reporting on.

Pete Simpkin: ‘Well remembered Michael, in fact I went on to replace Barry Lankester who had followed Chris Phipps to Wolverhampton and spent an enjoyable year ar the Queen sreet studio. Representing the BBC I was included as one of Wolverhamptons 1000 people in their millenium year!’

Andy Walters: ‘We moved out of the Queen Street studio in 2002. There’s now a radio & TV facility in Wolverhampton by the Wolves ground.’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Thanks Andy,I wonder if all the old files and tapes moved with you? I well remember having to do a live lunchtime discussion programme from the little studio at Queen St, we only had two microphones and I really needed four so I went round to Tandy’s and bought two table mics, plugged them into the mixer and it all worked perfectly.There was no way these unofficial items would ever be claimable on exes so as they were mine I took them home and used them in retirement jobs for many years!’